National Energy Centre Phase II
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as PDF Low energy office building to serve as HQ for National Energy Foundation. Low thermal mass, heated from Ground Source Heat Pump to underfloor circuits, natural ventilation, good use of daylight, some external overshading, plus solar DHW and photovoiltaics - all at a net zero additional cost!
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Energy and fuel use
Measured data from renewable generation is not yet available.
Fuel use
| Pre-development | Forecast | Measured | |
| Electricity use | - | 56000 kWh/yr | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas use | - | - | - |
| Oil use | - | - | - |
| LPG use | - | - | - |
| Wood use | - | - | - |
| Other Fuel | - | - | - |
| Pre-development | Forecast | Measured | |
| Primary energy requirement | - | 326 kWh/m².yr | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ emissions | - | 77 kg CO₂/m².yr | - |
| Annual space heat demand | - | 47 kWh/m².yr | - |
Renewable energy
| Electricity generation | Forecast | Measured |
|---|---|---|
| Renewables Technology | - | - |
| Other Renewables Tech | - | - |
| Electricity consumed by generation | - | - |
| Primary energy requirement offset by renewable generation | 326 kWh/m².yr | - |
| Annual CO₂ emissions offset by renewable generation | 77 kg CO₂/m².yr | - |
Calculation and targets
| Whole house energy calculation method | |
|---|---|
| Other whole house calculation method | - |
| Energy target | 2002 Building Regs |
| Other energy targets | - |
| Forecast heating load | 33.5 W/m² demand |
Airtightness
| Date | Result | |
| Pre-development air permeability test | - | - |
|---|---|---|
| Final air permeability test | - | - |
Project description
| Stage | Occupied |
|---|---|
| Start date | 21 February 2004 |
| Occupation date | |
| Location | Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire England |
| Build type | New build |
| Building sector | Commercial |
| Property type | Detached |
| Construction type | Timber frame |
| Other construction type | |
| Party wall construction | |
| Floor area | 430 m² |
| Floor area calculation method | Approximate Floor Area |
| Building certification |
Project Team
| Organisation | |
|---|---|
| Project lead person | |
| Landlord or Client | The National Energy Foundation |
| Architect | Avebury Projects |
| Mechanical & electrical consultant | NEF |
| Energy consultant | NEF/Very Efficient Heating Co/Earth Energy Systems |
| Structural engineer | Avebury Projects |
| Quantity surveyor | Davis Langdon & Everest |
| Consultant | |
| Contractor | Avebury Direct Procurement, though JCT minor works |
Design strategies
| Planned occupancy | Up to 40 people, office based, from the National Energy Foundation and Milton Keynes Energy Agency |
|---|---|
| Space heating strategy | Underfloor heating, to maximise wall space in an open plan office (ie. no radiators), supplied by a high performance Ground Source Heat Pump. All electric system permits cost savings through no mains gas connection. Backup heating from biomass (pellet) stove. Low thermal mass building, (timber façades to East and West; brick to North and South). High levels of insulation (300mm glass wool in ceiling and walls.) |
| Water heating strategy | Standalone system (not from GSHP as controls too complex), based on solar thermal panels supported by an electric immersion heater. |
| Fuel strategy | Mains electricity; on site PV production to partially offset use by GSHP on a cross-seasonal basis. No gas to building. Secondary heating from wood pellets. |
| Renewable energy strategy | 6.47kWp PV array on South facing roof. 2 square metres of solar thermal for DHW. |
| Passive Solar strategy | Building oriented North-South (due to site layout constraints), so windows on both sides. Solar overheating in afternoons (West façade) to be avoided through brise-soleils; none on East side as potentially useful solar gains on winter mornings. Active solar through PV and Solar hot water. |
| Space cooling strategy | Natural ventilation - high fixed ventilators (open or close seasonally), plus trickle vents and openable windows. Roof design tilted (and in four leaves) to encourage natural cross-flow ventilation. Limited overshading above windows to prevent summer overheating. No A/C. |
| Daylighting strategy | Natural daylight when possible. Large windows to East and West; eight Sunpipes (light tubes) in roof, replacing original concept of north lights, due to complex timber roof framing. |
| Ventilation strategy | See cooling - natural ventilation through vents and opening windows, with roof design to maximise cross-flow ventilation. Air tight building (timber frame) designed to limit losses to 7.5kW. |
| Airtightness strategy | Air tight building (timber frame) designed to limit losses to 7.5kW. Air pressure testing planned, but not undertaken on cost grounds, although there is some visual evidence that the building is not as tight as planned and have been issues in winter with leaks around high level ventilator opening mechanism, requiring sealing with gaffer tape. |
| Strategy for minimising thermal bridges | |
| Modelling strategy | |
| Insulation strategy | |
| Other relevant retrofit strategies | |
| Contextual information |
Building services
| Occupancy | |
|---|---|
| Space heating | |
| Hot water | |
| Ventilation | |
| Controls | |
| Cooking | |
| Lighting | |
| Appliances | |
| Renewable energy generation system | |
| Strategy for minimising thermal bridges |
Building construction
| Storeys | |
|---|---|
| Volume | - |
| Thermal fabric area | - |
| Roof description | |
| Roof U-value | - |
| Walls description | |
| Walls U-value | - |
| Party walls description | |
| Party walls U-value | - |
| Floor description | |
| Floor U-value | - |
| Glazed doors description | |
| Glazed doors U-value | - - |
| Opaque doors description | |
| Opaque doors U-value | - - |
| Windows description | |
| Windows U-value | - - |
| Windows energy transmittance (G-value) | - |
| Windows light transmittance | - |
| Rooflights description | |
| Rooflights light transmittance | - |
| Rooflights U-value | - |